London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

David Cameron: My faith and fear of failure

David Cameron today revealed his faith in God, his fear of failure and his dread that another of his children could die.

In his most intimate interview so far, he said he prayed regularly but did not feel he had "a direct line" to God.

"If you are asking, do I drop to my knees and pray for guidance, no," he said, adding that he had been a "questioning Christian" who struggled with tenets like the virgin birth.

"But do I have faith and is it important, yes. It's not always the rock that perhaps it should be."

Speaking exclusively to Evening Standard Editor Geordie Greig, the Tory leader disclosed that anxiety about losing another child was always with him after the death of his eldest son, Ivan, this year. "That's fear Number One," he said. "Particularly as it has happened already, it is a sort of permanent fear."

Unusually for a politician seeking to become Prime Minister in six months, he candidly admitted that his greatest driving force was the fear of making a mess. "Fear of getting things wrong inspires me more than the wonder of getting things right," he said.

Mr Cameron admitted that George Osborne, his closest shadow cabinet ally, had had a "very, very tough time" after the "yachtgate" saga last year and said he would be prepared to sack the shadow chancellor if he felt he did not have the ability to run the nation's finances. The Tory leader also revealed that he had finally been successful at quitting smoking.

Mr Cameron gave his most frank insights into his relationship with London's Mayor, insisting he is one of Boris Johnson's biggest fans but that the Mayor also "occasionally puts his size 10 feet in it".

He admits Boris caused a problem by suggesting on the eve of the Tory party conference that they should have a referendum on Europe. "We managed to extinguish the fuse he lit. What it did not show was a deep split in the Conservative Party. It was more cock-up than division."

Did Boris apologise? "I do not want to go into private conversations but all is well in the Dave/Boris relationship."

Is the Mayor too much trouble? "Would I rather have some faceless bureaucrat running London who could not pull a crowd at the Tory conference? Or would I rather have a swashbuckling, charismatic, irresistible character who will, yes, occasionally put his size 10 feet in it? In the end I would rather have the latter.

"He is doing a fabulous job running London. I think what's happened in terms of security on public transport, trees, cutting waste, and the optimism and sense of dynamism he brings to the job, he is doing a fantastic job."

Are they still on good terms? "We call each other, text each other, have dinner with each other's wives, we get on very well. It's a very good relationship — and a fun relationship. It's got a serious side, but it's light-hearted." And when people say Boris should be in No 10? "Great! Good! I want people to look at the Conservative Party and say there is a huge amount of talent. It's not a one-man band, a two-man band, a three-man band.

"People who say what next for Boris?', I say the sky's the limit. He has got huge talent. I want the Conservative Party to have big figures in it."

CAMERON ON CROSSRAIL...

David Cameron gave his strongest backing yet to London's long-awaited Crossrail scheme.

He said he had studied "all the economic arguments" and concluded that Crossrail could transform the capital.

"I think Crossrail has that transformational capability, to make London a more effective and economically successful city," he said.

"I back Crossrail. I want Crossrail to go ahead."

His comments will be a huge boost to Mayor Boris Johnson who is fighting to ensure the £16 billion east-west line is under construction in time for his re-election campaign.

However, Mr Cameron also made clear that shadow chancellor George Osborne must give final approval.

He said: "Obviously everything has to pass the value-for-money test and all the rest, but we want it to go ahead."

CAMERON ON AFGHANISTAN...

The Tories will back a troops surge to Afghanistan, even though it will mean higher numbers of casualties.

"The status quo is not acceptable because we are not making progress," he said.

He warned it would take "real leadership" to maintain public support, adding: "I believe there is a lot of disquiet, uncertainty and worry.

"It won't be easy and we do have to prepare the public for the fact this will be difficult and that there will be casualties."

Mr Cameron defended Barack Obama against critics accusing him of "dithering" over reinforcements. But he added: "It cannot go on forever."

Pulling out would be wrong as there would be "a Taliban takeover", with terrorist training camps returning and a threat of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into extremist hands.

CAMERON ON... EUROPE

The Tory leader hailed his changes to European policy as a key test of the Conservatives' readiness to govern. Shrugging off the resignation of two MEPs from frontbench positions in protest at him dropping a vote on the Lisbon Treaty, he said: "This is hard-headed realism, practical and sensible. People can see a Conservative Party that is saying we are ready to roll up our sleeves and fix the country's problems."

He criticised Foreign Secretary David Miliband for accusing him of forming an alliance with anti-Semites: "When you kick up against an elite, some of the elite likes to have a go at you . But when they do they damage themselves, not you."

CAMERON ON VAT...

A strong signal that the Tories are willing to raise VAT was given by David Cameron.

"We are going to have to do difficult things," he warned. "We don't rule out putting up taxes.

"Of course, we want spending to bear the brunt of the deficit reduction programme but no responsible government can ever rule out raising taxes."

Mr Cameron said he thought Britain was "overtaxed" already with the new 50p top rate and rises in National Insurance.